David and the Secret Of the Rings
by Hahli Nuva
Summary: After dreaming of getting away from his boring college life, David Burns jumps into the world of the Arabian Nights to rid it of it's evil tyrant, and save the timeless stories from utter destruction!
1. Chapter 1

The Adventure Begins

By: Hahli Nuva

(Part 1 of 3)

(Based on **SONIC AND THE SECRET RINGS**)

"Imagination is more important than knowledge..."

-Albert Einstein

The wind rustled the fallen leaves as David Burns walked along the stone path up to his house. As he unlatched the wooden handle and stepped inside, he groaned. He thought to himself: _Sometimes, I wish I could just, be someone else, you know? _He slammed his heavy binder on the table, dragged himself over to the couch, and lay there, exhausted from a stressful day at school. _"Well, I'd better catch up on my reading, before Mrs. Peterson gets on my case. THAT I don't need._

Although tired, David read "1000 and 1 Tales of the Arabian nights" as instructed by his teacher. Soon, however, David fell asleep, the book covering his face to keep out bugs. As he fell asleep, he began to dream… "Hello?" A voice inquired. "Um, Could you wake up? I need you!"

David was unaware of the voice, and lay there like a log. The voice however, seemed to have more important things to handle, and screamed at the top of its voice: "WAKE UP!!!!" David, startled, fell off of the couch. Untangling himself from the blankets and sheets he usually leaves on his couch, David got up off of the floor and dusted himself off. One look at the newcomer, and he panicked, firing a volley of questions and demanding answers. "Who are you? What do you want with me? Am I dead?"

"My name is Shahra, Genie of the ring," The stranger said, completely ignoring his questions. She couldn't of been more than 19 years of age_. She's kind of pretty,_ David thought. "I need your help in defeating Erazor, an evil spirit, and saving my world from total destruction. Will you aid me?" She pleaded. David stood there, shocked. After pinching himself, he knew that this was real. "Well, this is kind of hard to take in. give me a minute to think it over, okay?" Appalled at his asking, the girl snapped at him. "We don't have a minute! We have to go NOW! Or else he'll destroy my world and come into YOUR world! That book your reading, he's from one of the stories, somehow, he's gotten enough power to break out of his story and start destroying the other stories! If he's not stopped, he could erase my world and come into your world, where he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants, ultimate power…"

"So, you need someone who can put this guy in his place, huh? I guess I can help you with that. My name's David. Nice to meet you." David shook her hand and grabbed his backpack. The genie looked at her new friend. "You're not afraid of going? Even though you probably won't return?" she asked."Well, I was at first, but then I thought, wait a minute. This is what I've been waiting for! A chance to be someone else! Not just plain old me. A hero, out to save a world form utter destruction! Come on! This'll be a breeze!" he looked at Shahra, who had an amazed look on her face. "Well, alright. Then let's go!"

With that, Shahra opened the book, and the duo jumped in. After flying through empty space for some time, they landed on a rock in the middle of nothingness. Text flew in every direction, letters and ink were scattered everywhere. It all seemed to be floating in mid air. "Whoa. What happened here?" David looked to his companion for an answer. "Well?" "Oh no! I can't be too late! PLEASE don't let me be late!" David and Shahra looked around, trying to find the cause of this careless destruction. Just then, an evil laugh broke the ice. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" A dark figure appeared out of nowhere. Then again, where exactly WAS nowhere?

"Shahra. Have you brought me the seven world rings AS PROMISED?" He demanded. Shahra looked at her nemesis. "Erazor! You KNOW that they do not exist! Why do you keep looking for them?" "SILENCE! Your insolence will be the end of you, Shahra! I swear it! You and your new friend will DIE if you don't bring me those rings!" Shahra stood her ground, fearless. "I'm not scared of YOU, Erazor! Not at all!" David had stood there the whole time, doing nothing. He found out just a few moments ago that when Erazor appeared, he could not move a single muscle. With a wave of his hand, Erazor conjured up a pillar of pure hellfire. "Since you continue to defy me, you'll just have to pay with your LIFE!"

He threw the spear of fire towards Shahra, who was glued to the floor with fear. She screamed, and, out of instinct, David jumped in front of her. "SHAHRA! LOOK OUT!!" The spear hit David at point blank range, but Shahra was protected from harm. "David? DAVID? Oh no! Please! Get up!" Her pleads seemed to have no effect, and Erazor laughed at her. "Foolish girl. Did you really think you could defeat ME by bringing this boy from another world? HAHAHA!! You should know by now, NO ONE DEFEATS THE ERAZOR!!!"

"Yeah? Well, it looks like I'm the first!" David smiled. As he turned around, a flicker of fire could be seen from his heart. "Boy, you've got one thing right, Erazor, she WAS foolish enough to go to my world, but it looks to me that the only person that'll be left standing is ME!" David lunged at Erazor, but the genie was too fast and, with another swing of his hand, slammed David against an invisible wall."Ha! You can't even TOUCH me! Stupid kid. Can't you see when you've been beaten?" Shahra was unconscious, and for David, hope seemed lost. "Listen kid. Get me the seven world rings, like I told her, and I'll show you what REAL POWER IS!" cackling, Erazor disappeared from view. "Shahra!" David picked his friend up.

Her eyes fluttered open, and David sighed with relief. "Hello, David." David hugged her, happy to hear that she was safe. "Thank God you're alright. For a second there I thought you were dead!" After reviving her, the two decided that it would be best to follow the stone path. As they walked down the road, they had no idea what they would get themselves into…

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

Let the Speed mend it. (Part 2 of 5) Due to the size of the story, I have increased the chapters. OC is mine Sonic's charactees belong to SEGA.

By: Requiem's Brawl

"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."

-Sir Winston Churchill

Running along the tunnel of words, David screeched to a halt. They weren't getting anywhere, and for the last 45 minutes, there was nothing but pure nothingness around them. "We HAVE to get out of here, Shahra! Erazor wants those rings! If we don't hurry, I might not make it!" Just as she was about to reply, they reached the end of the tunnel, and walked out to a large desert opening littered with buildings and large lakes.

"Hurry! We have to find the rings! It'll be quicker if we ask around!" David said, running to the desert world. Racing through sacred temples, houses, and a few bars, David found that no one knew anything about the rings. "Maybe we could ask the king." Shahra replied. "What King?" "The king of this desert community. You think that these people are here with mo one to lead them?" David looked at his friend, confused. "Why not? Let's do it."

Soon after, the two headed to the kings palace, hoping to gain information on the powerful objects. Starting at the duke's palace, David began running as fast as he could go. Shahra stopped him. "David, before we begin, I want to give you this ring. " It's a ring filled with secrets. You're my master now, and anything you desire will be granted. This also gives you superhuman abilities. Running at supersonic speed is one of them."

"Holy cow. Really? What else can I do?" He looked at her excitedly. "That you'll have to figure out on your own." She told him. "Now, let's go before Erazor catches up!" "Alright! King of Sand Oasis, Here we come!"

Running along the path, David thought to himself _Look at me, first I'm some wimpy freshman, and now the fate of an entire world rests on my shoulders. I will not fail. Even if I die trying. _Racing through the twisted turns of Sand Oasis, David realized that pillars of stone were rising out of the dirt.

"Watch out those pillars are being manipulated by black magic!" Shahra warned. "Gah!!" David ran out of the way in time to dodge the rock. Coming up to a clearing, David saw a ghost-like figure circling a box. "Whoa. Ghosts?" "Not really. Their called DJINN or, demon people. Either way, he's your enemy. Defeat him with homing attack!"

For some reason, David did as instructed and ran to his foe jumping and then zooming forward in a rush of speed, thus tackling his enemy. The ghost let out a cry and then disappeared, defeated.

"Good Job!" David smiled at her, before going down the ramp that led to the other side of the stage. David ran, jumped, and practically flew towards the king's palace. After running down the long town street, they reached his castle, which was buried in sand. "Alright! We made it! Hey, where do you think he is?" "He probably went into hiding."

As they walked to the palace, screams could be heard from the room. "AHHH! SOMEONE SAVE ME!!!!" "Get in there, David, QUICK!" Shahra said. David ran in there at top speed and knocked all of the djinns down like bowling pins. "AH! Don't hurt me!!" The king begged. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." David helped the overthrown king to his feet.

"And that's how it happened." David avoided the king's look. "So, you want me to show you where the rings are? Simple. The rings are located at-WAAAAAAAAA!!!" A giant eagle soared overhead, grabbing the king in its clutches, and flying away.

"Sir!" Shahra exclaimed "David we have to go after him!" "I know! Come on!" The duo ran towards the jungle that surrounded Sand Oasis. What they would find there, they would not know…


	3. Chapter 3

The Wicked Wild (Part 3 of 7) By: Breaking Brawl

It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

-J. K. Rowling

The eagle soared from the desert to the surrounding jungle, landing on an out-perch just lining the horizon. David scorched sand and dirt as he rushed to save the king from his prehistoric captor. As the hero neared his destination, animal roars and screams could be heard from the jungle. "How do we know where he went?" David looked around frantically. He was good at losing things, but finding them again was a completely different matter, especially if that something is a king.

Running through and around thick plants and trees, David soon came to a clearing. David looked at his surroundings with rage. _Damn! No king!_ _This sucks! If we don't find him soon, I'm gonna LOSE IT!_ He thought to himself. Before he could explode, Shahra offered some advice. "He's not around here, David. Maybe looking further into the jungle will yield results…" After she said those words, a deep, low rumbling sound slowly made its way to the heroes' ears. "What's that? David slowly turned around, as the sound was coming from behind them, and braced himself. Whatever was coming, it was BIG. "D-David, I think you should move, NOW!" Shahra shoved him out of the way, and leaped to save herself. A large Stegosaurus rumbled its way onto the clearing.

"Whoa! That thing's HUGE!" David stared at the massive beast as it walked past them, nibbling on various plants and shrubs. Shahra spoke up. "I know. These giants were never extinct. The dinosaurs simply were transported to live in this jungle that is part of one of the 1000 stories. After the large animal moved out of sight, David made his move. "Let's roll. The King's gotta be around here somewhere." Shahra agreed, and the two made their way further down into the dinosaur jungle.

Running through this world was different from the desert. It had dinosaurs, for one thing. It was also cooler than the desert, with no notable inhabitants other than the king, and water seemed to be more abundant here than in Sand Oasis, where wind and heat bothered any who dared walk across to the jungle. Plants and trees of varying size and color were everywhere to be seen. The Djinn, or "Demon people", were also scattered here, to be on the lookout for David, and to stop him by any means necessary, this meant kill him, and it was something the djinn were all too familiar with.

David was racing through all of this when he came to another clearing, this was blocked by a rock wall, with openings big enough for a person's eye to see through. Curious as to what was behind it, David peeked. "RRRAAAAAAARRAAARRR!!!" A huge Tyrannosaurus Rex clamped its jaws and smashed its head through the rock wall, exposing David.

"Ahh! RUN!" David bolted out of there as fast as he could, but the T-Rex swung its head once more in an attempt to catch the fleeing boy. As he neared the end of the rock wall, the T-Rex blocked his path.

"Either I go around you, or I through you!" David stood there, unaffected by the monster's glare. "David, I don't think it wants to play right now!" Shahra warned. If he died now, her guilt at what would happen to this world would kill her. "Oh come on! This thing's a pushover! We can take him!" Almost as if on cue, the carnivore lunged at him. David leapt onto its back and grabbed the large spike that was coming out of its head. "David, try ramming it into the walls!" The T-Rex ran around wildly, crashing into walls and trees, until it knocked itself out. David jumped off of the beast and stood tall.

"Congratulations!" Shahra praised him. "It wasn't a problem at all! But we still haven't found the king!" David looked at the ground, glum. Shahra tried to cheer him up. "Don't worry, my friend. We will find him. Soon." Running once more into the dinosaur jungle, the search for king Shahryar was on… 


	4. Chapter 4

The Palace that was found (Part 4 of 8)

By: Breaking Brawl

This is Erazor!

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

**-Edmund Burke**  
_Irish orator, philosopher, & politician (1729 - 1797)_

David barely caught up with the bird as it dropped the king hundreds of feet to the ground. After chasing it for the past six hours, David was getting tired. However, a life was at stake, and David had to step his game up. The eagle was getting tired from the chase too, but that was easily dealt with as a nice volcano came into view.

"SPEED BREAK!" Sensing the bird's intentions, the hero ran at full speed to the volcano using his ability, and reached the volcano first. "AHHHH!!! SAVE ME!" David ran up to catch the king just as he was released out of the beast's claws. WHUMP! Using his Time Break ability, the hero slowed his descent and grabbed the king by his collar and placed him gently on the ground. Deactivating the power, the hero raced back to the king's throne room, returning him to his home. After declining an offer to stay at the castle, the wise king spoke up. "M-My boy, I have never known anyone like you before. Your great speed, your unique powers, it could be used to defend this kingdom from the evil of Erazor."

"I'd love to stay, but I've really got to go to other places. I'll beat him, don't worry!" Although the king trusted David, he wasn't sure if he was up to the task. "Young man. I recommend that you fulfill the villain's task before making your move. That way he'll never know what hit him! Here, take this one. I'm sure it'll help with the others." Pulling a yellow ring from his cloak, it has the emotion of joy inside. Each ring, as you'll soon find out, has a specific emotion inside. The one who has all 7 can transform into a being of unimaginable power. This is why Erazor wants them so much. Finding them all is a challenge all its own."

"Thank you, sir! You won't regret this! Really! This Erazor guy doesn't sound so tough! I can beat him!" That being said, David sped out of the room, and on to his next adventure. Running through many small valleys, deserts, and islands, David noticed that the only life around was him and Shahra. All surroundings, like trees, grass, and rock were charred, burnt, and scarred by an evil that no one dared stop. David, however, was taking a chance. "Hey, Shahra, why isn't their any life around here? It's all dull and boring." David looked around. _Is this what Erazor's been up to? No wonder everyone's afraid of him. He's a merciless monster out for power and glory. I have to do something about this. If I do find the World Rings, how can I stop Erazor from destroying the rest of the book? Can I use them? What emotions do they hold? _ Shahra had mumbled something before, but he didn't hear it.

"Shahra, What did you say?" The ring genie looked at her master. "We're here." The team walked up to what seemed to be an old, abandoned factory. "Whoa. This place is big!" David whistled. "Yes. This is the Evil Foundry. So named because of its history of dark, vile beings using it for their own evil purposes." "You think a world ring is in that place?" "I'm not sure, but it's worth a try." After breaking open the gates, the two entered the factory. "Wow! It's HOT in here!" David noted as he ran through the factory. The "Djinn" (Possessed spirits) appeared out of nowhere. After dispatching them with a few homing attacks, David heard a loud roar.

Racing further into the factory, David soon found out the answer to his question. Erazor was standing there, chanting something in Arabic, and then disappeared in a flash. In his place stood the biggest lava/metal monster he ever saw. "Oh No! David get out of here now! That thing's not just a monster! That's the Ifrit! (IF-RIT) It's Satan's most evil piece of work. Erazor released it from its prison! We have to get out!" Grabbing him, she disappeared in a puff of smoke. A few miles away, David wanted answers. "What are we going to do? How am I supposed to beat THAT thing?" He was shooting question after question at the genie, and she deflected them all with one swift response.

"Water. It is the only element that can deal damage to the creature. The Blue World ring should help us with that, but Sinbad has it. I wonder if he'll let us burrow it." "He'd better, or else this whole world is going up in flames!" "Come on! King Shahryar (SHAH-R-Y-AR) knows where all of the Pirates are! He'll tell us!" Nodding at this, David and Shahra ran in a direction that would later on determine the fate of the universe…


	5. Chapter 5

HIGH AND BROKEN (Part 5 of 8)

Do something every day that you don't want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.

Mark Twain_  
US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)_

"Shahra, I hate you…" David groaned as he tied his shoes. They were standing on a giant manta-ray thing, and on top of that, this thing had a WHOLE BUILDING ON IT! "Well, it's better than fighting the ifrit, right master?" Shahra had said. "Shut up! Come on, then. Let's find this Sinbad and kick that thing's butt!" "Okay. But be careful! The wind is very strong here, and you could get blown off of the edge."

David looked down, and saw nothing but clouds. "Yeah, FALLING OFF is the problem, huh?" _next time, whenever a genie girl asks for your help to save an entire world, remind me to say NO!_

"How high ARE we?" "5000 feet." "WHAAATT!?!" "Well, Sinbad's an adventurer. What did you expect?" "Uh, when you say that, remember to tell me that he BUNGIE JUMPS FROM 5000 FEET IN THE AIR!!!" Okay, master. I will." "Good. Now let's go!!!" David's heart pumped as he fought against the powerful wind gusts that threatened to push him off of the flying beast. "There's a temple a way down from here. We should be able to reach it if you can just reach that rock." "Emphasis on REACH, right Shahra?" "Uh… Yes, master. Whatever you say." David finally reached the rock, and held on to it for dear life.

"Look, David! There's a spirit! You can kill him and use the boost to get over that ledge, leading to the temple!" "Got it!" David slammed into the monster with the flying homing attack. The boost launched him over the edge, and allowed him to reach the path. "Hey, the wind doesn't reach this far, that means I can go full force! SPEED BREAK!" David ran at the speed of sound, smashing through enemies. As soon as he reached the temple, he stopped. "What is it?" "There!" A large cage was sitting in the middle of the temple. And the occupant?

None other than the mighty Sinbad, adventurer of adventurers! His tunic was damaged, and his sword was missing. "Sinbad! What happened?" Shahra asked "What does it look like? I've been captured!" "Hey, do you know where the water blue ring is? There's a large monster terrorizing the masses, and it's completely bathed in flame."

"Yeah, some pirates took it from me and locked me in here. If you'd let me out, I'd be glad to show you the way!" "Alright. That shouldn't be too hard, considering all I've gone through so far!" "Great! Just bust open those glowing chains over there, and I'll let you have it!" David broke the rings in a flash, setting Sinbad free. "Thanks buddy. Well, the last time I saw it, those pirates set sail for the sea, and it went with them." The sea starts over there." "Thanks, Sinbad, we'll get that ring back for you, don't worry!" With the world in his hands, a ring to be found, and a promise that had to be kept, David and Shahra ran towards the never-ending sea, anxious to see what secrets it held, and wanting to know if the flames of rage could be cooled by the softest substance…


	6. Chapter 6

NO WAY THROUGH (part 6 of 8)

By: Hahli Nuva

"_If it continues long enough, even a reign of terror may become a fondly remembered period. People believe they want justice and wise government but, in fact, what they really want is an assurance that tomorrow will be very much like today."_

David ran from the loud sounds of the cannon. As soon as he stepped foot on the beach, the pirate ships, as if invisible, fired multiple shots from their cannons. Of course, it was a stormy, rainy night, and David hadn't slept in days, but Shahra didn't seem to understand. Neither did the people of this world. This was why David had to push on. Everyone was counting on him, and he couldn't let them down. "Damn! If I can't get past those stupid cannons, I'm toast!" He zigzagged past the next wave of shots, and headed for the first ship, which was full of pirates.

"Get him!" They shouted as the hero jumped on the starboard. "You can't catch me!" As the villains lunged for him, David jumped beck and hit the leader with a flying sidekick, knocking him off of the ship, and into the murky depths. The other pirates drew their swords, but David leg-swept them off the side. Their screams barely reached his ears as he sped off towards the next ship.

"David. Slow down!" Shahra pleaded. "No, Shahra! We must keep going! The Ifrit's getting stronger as we speak!" "Master, I just don't want you getting hurt, that's all." "Yeah? Well shut up and just keep going, okay? We'll get that ring in no time if you keep quiet!" David usually wasn't mean to girls, especially Shahra, but the lack of sleep, cold rain, and constant combat began to take its toll on him.

He dispatched the next few ships like lightning, and jumped on a castaway log to get to the master ship. _"I'm coming for you, Ifrit. You just wait" _David thought to himself as he battled pirate storm. The thunder and rain didn't help, and the possibility of getting the ring was in question. If he DID get the ring, how was he supposed to use it? Sinbad had forgotten to tell him about that, and he had a feeling that Shahra knew about this, too.

Was Shahra hiding something from him? If so, what could it be? David had no time to think as he ran across the soaked deck, clobbering any pirate that got in his way. At last, he reached the master ship. Then, as if in a dream, lightning from the sky pierced the deck. A bubbly sound sounded, and Captain Bemoth was born! Standing at 10-feet tall, with the blue world ring hanging from his belt, Bemoth smiled. "So, you're the runt that dares take on my crew? Well, sorry to tell you this, but this is your last battle!" David, although tired, stood his ground. "We'll see about that, Bemoth!" David charged at him, but Bemoth darted out of the way, and David collided with air.

"HA! You think THAT will work? Now, taste MY power!" Bemoth drew a sword that was made entirely out of lightning. He swung and sliced at David, but the Ring collector was too fast for him. "That's it? Come on! You can do better!" as Bemoth swung, David jumped, and kicked Bemoth smack-dab in the face. "ARGH! Lucky shot!" Bemoth sliced again and again, but each time, he was struck himself.

With a final cry of defeat, Bemoth stabbed at David, but he dodged to the side, and pulled the ring that was secured on his belt. "NOOOO!!!" Bemoth started screaming, then cursing, then bloating and bloating till he exploded in a burst of dark magic.

"Well done, David! Now we can combat the Ifrit!" Shahra congratulated him. Blushing, David put the ring in his pack, along with the other ring, so that he and Shahra could go. "Alright, let's do it!" "Yes sir!" As they ran towards certain death, David felt that maybe this wasn't a waste of time. After all, he DID want to become someone else. _"Prepare yourself, Erazor. I WILL save this world, I WILL find you, and I WILL defeat you!"_ As they walked up to the Evil Foundry, David prepared himself for the ultimate test of power…


	7. Chapter 7

THE WHITE OF SKY

(Part 7 of 8)

He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it.

**Douglas Adams**** (1952 - 2001)**, _"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"_

Running towards the Lava shelter's center, David and Shahra had only one thing in mind: Defeat the Ifrit. As they charged towards the room, loud roars could be heard. The Ifrit didn't like being cooped up for so long, mostly because there was an entire world to destroy, and also because if he didn't kill David soon, he himself would be his end.

David and Shahra finally reached the room, and the Ifrit's eyes burned with anger. "RRROOAAAAHHRRR!!" it snarled. "Heh heh. Well well, looks like you've been waiting for someone. Mind if I join?" "RROOAAARRR!!!!" "Guess that means yes, huh Shahra?" "Master, be careful!" "Don't worry, what he going to do? Stomp on me?" With confidence, David ran up to his foe and kicked at him. "  
OW! That hurt!" he said after being flung to the hot wall. "David, use the ring!" Shahra said. She could only watch, as her magic had no effect on Erazor's.

"Ring of water! Summon a mighty storm!" The skies became stormy, and dark clouds rolled in, covering the hot spot with water. "RRRAAAHHHRRRRRHH!" the Ifrit screamed in pain as the rain washed over it. "Ha! try THAT!" Shahra cheered, and the Ifrit moaned in even greater pain when David slammed into it with his Homing attack.

"Good! Keep going! Don't Stop!" Shahra was getting pretty excited, and David couldn't help but smile as he dodged the Ifrit's laser beams. How could he be so insensitive? Thinking that he was the only one that mattered? Did he forget that there were other people that needed him? Shahra and Sinbad and Shahryar were good people. They didn't deserve to die just because he wasn't sure if he wanted to save them. He tried to put it to the back of his head, but it was no use.

Jumping and rolling past the Ifrit's lava breath, David smacked the beast again, this time; metal shards broke off, and landed around the battlefield. "Great job, David! Keep it up!" "Yeah, Yeah, I know!" David dodged and jumped and dodged and jumped, landing hits wherever the eyes could see.

"RRAAAHARRRRAHHHHH!" the Ifrit roared each time David struck its shiny metal head. He had to dodge the Ifrit's lasers, smash his metal fingers so that he could get to the head, and then pound the headlight. He had to do this a total of 15 times, and now, he only needed that one last hit.

"ALRIGHT, IFRIT! TAKE THIS!!!!!!" he plunged his fist into the demon's head, crushing its brain and frying its circuits. The monster died, turning into a ball of flame. The ball quickly melted away, revealing a secret ring! "Whoa. It's another one of those rings!" Shahra said. David picked it up. Suddenly, he was filled with an intense anger. "AAAHHAHAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he dropped the ring, clutching his burnt hand. "WHAT WAS THAT!?!?" David screamed. He raised his hand to strike Shahra, but then stopped.

"I-I'm so sorry!" he ran off, leaving Shahra alone. "David, wait!" She ran after him, hoping to catch up to him, but he used Speed Break to get away from her. Shahra looked high and low for the ring collector, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, as she was looking in the abandoned story graveyard, she saw him, huddled up against a rock, crying.

"David?" "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!" "But-" "GO AWAY!!! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!" "David, it's not your fault! That was the red ring of rage! Anyone could have been affected by its power! " "Really?" "Yup! Anyone! Even Sinbad! Come on! We've got more rings to find!" David stood up, and together, they went to secure the rings.

Walking underground, they soon cane to a city known as the Skeleton Dome, mostly because the walls were created with pure bone. Shahra had suggested that they go and meet King Solomon, who knew the location of not only the remaining 4 rings, but the location of Erazor! Walking into his throne room, the Heroes are shocked to find that the great king was in pieces! His skeleton body was missing, and his head lay on the floor, a skull. "Help! Help me! Is anyone there? Hello?" "Hey! We're here! What's going on?" "What? Who are you?"

"My name is David Burns. And I'm here to save you from the evil Erazor Djinn!" "Oh! Good! Thank God! Please, can you find my body? That big purple pinhead scattered it around the city!" "Uh, Sure! Why not? " "OH thank you! When you get back, I'll have something for you that'll make you jump up and down!" "Alright! Just stay here!" as he was about to run off, Solomon stopped him.

"Wait! Erazor freed the 40 thieves that attempted to assassinate me! If they get to this room, I'm finished!" "Don't worry, Sir! We'll take care of those guys for ya!" "Thank you, Sonic." "What? Sonic? That's not my name." "With the power of the rings, and the desire to help people regardless of interest, has earned you that title." "He was a hero lost to time. He could outrace the wind, and helped others before himself. You have shown those qualities, and now, you have a new name. Sonic! Seeker of the rings! " Shahra agreed that the name change was very well liked, and David didn't seem to have any objections, either. So it was, Sonic. Hero of the ages!

As Sonic and Shahra dashed out of the throne room, Sonic smiled. He noticed his hair turned blue, and was more spiked up, and his shoes changed. Instead of sneakers, he wore red running shoes with a white strap, and a gold buckle on the side. Shahra noticed that his eyes were green. David liked his new look, and raced the wind to the treasure room, ready to face 40 tortured souls…


	8. Chapter 8

Unawakening

Float (Part 7 of 8)

Sonic and Shahra raced through the room, smashing skeletons and blowing evil spirits away. "Keep it up! We can hurry! By the time Erazor notices, we'll be right at his door! " "Roger!" As they cleared the room, a loud moan could be heard from Solomon's throne room. "Let's go!" Sonic rushed towards the sound. "Your majesty! Are you okay?" Sonic searched frantically around the room, but didn't find the king.

"AHHH! Dang it! Where is he?" "Maybe he…" Shahra couldn't finish her sentence, because honestly, she hadn't a clue. Then, as if on cue, Solomon jumped out at them, in his body! "Sorry there! Thought you were robbers!" he said once he figured out who it was. "King Solomon! You got your body back! But how?" Well, once you defeated those 40 thieves, my bones just popped back on!" Wow. That was a big relief."

"Tell me about it. Well, now that I'm back to normal, I can take care of the rest of the Djinns here. You can go with these." The wise king pulled two rings out of his hand, and handed them to him.

"Go. Take the green ring of hate, and the purple ring of Sorrow, and use them to defeat Erazor Djinn. "Yes Sir!" Sonic and Shahra sped out of the room, away from Skeleton Dome, and towards the surface. As they climbed, Sonic felt something above him. There, on the ledge, was the light blue world ring!. "Hey! Here's another ring!" Sonic grabbed it, and was washed over with extreme pleasure.

"Wow, this feels good! It's all warm and tingly!" "Sonic, be careful! You don't know what will happen!" Shahra almost dragged Sonic out of the hole, because he was busy holding the ring.

As they walked down the road, Sonic was thinking. _Well, this is it. At first, I thought that this some crazy dream, but here I stand, preparing to face evils no sane person would conceive. Just one more ring to go, and I'll be ready to face him. _Sonic and Shahra Soon reached Erazor's lair, Night Palace. The Palace was huge, and was suspended in midair by magic. "So, this is where Erazor is." Sonic dashed down the ways and rooms, smashing any Djinns that got in his way.

Of course, Erazor knew Sonic was coming for him, so he set up traps, sent henchmen everywhere, and locked himself in his throne room. "That fool wouldn't DARE come here, if he knew what was good for him.!" Erazor cackled as Sonic blasted through the rooms, dodging Djinns, rotating saw-blades, a magically charged trap door that lead to his room, and fireballs.

"Wow! This is tight!" Sonic grinded a rail, then kicked himself off of a Djinn, and onto the ledge, where the first hourglass lay waiting. He soon found out, after noticing that the walls, floor, and temperature rise, that he needed to collect three cleverly hidden hourglasses rushed out of the room, hoping to collect

The seventh and final ring. The white ring of Wishes, was in the third room, which Sonic was getting to. Repeating the same task over and over can be annoying, but for Sonic, it meant saving his life, as well as every other person's life in the world of the Arabian nights.

"Sonic! Watch out!" Shahra screamed as Sonic used Time Break to get past spinning spike-balls, flamethrowers, and pitfalls. Time slowed to a crawl, and Sonic would never get used to the feeling. After the ability ended, the two jumped on a magic carpet, flying towards Erazor's hideout. "Check out the view!" Sonic exclaimed as he soared high above the clouds.

After flying in silence for some time, Sonic and Shahra's hand touched. They pulled away from each other, blushing. "Sorry, Master." "No, it was my fault. I need to pay attention." Shahra never really thought about it, but Sonic was kind of cute. His spiky blue hair, green eyes, and peach skin glowed in the moonlight.

Sonic also noticed something about her to. She was his age, if not, only one year older, and was very cute-looking. Shahra's pink hair flashed in the light, and her eyes glistened.

"Master, we should be arriving soon." "Good! We'll show this creep! Come On!" Sonic arched the carpet so that it spiraled towards the throne room. "HERE WE GOOOOO!!!!" Sonic and Shahra crash-landed onto the shiny palace floor. "Well, we're here." "Yeah! Come on!" Sonic burst through the doors, and Erazor was their waiting, the final ring in his hand… 


	9. EndGame

End-Game

"Erazor! Give me that!" Sonic shouted at the genie. Once he and Shahra had gotten their composure back, they confronted the villain. "Hah! Give this to YOU? Not a chance! Shahra, have you brought me the world rings?" Shahra had always feared Erazor, but now, now that Sonic stood up to him, she denied him. "Sonic has them, and you're not going to touch them!"

"YOU DARE DEFY ME? THE SUPREME RULER OF ALL WITHIN THESE PAGES?" Shahra stood her ground, and Sonic stepped forward. "Hey, buddy! Think you can top me off? We're such good friends, after all!" "You filthy ape! I'll cut you to pieces!" Erazor waved his hand, and they were outside the palace, on a balcony overlooking the Dinosaur Jungle and Sand Oasis. Shahra vanished into Sonic's ring as the hero took a fighting stance.

"Let's see you try!" Sonic and Erazor charged at each other. Erazor swung his sword, but Sonic jumped over it. "Curse you! I will win, and rule the world!" "Not so fast, pinhead!" Sonic leaped into the air, and struck Erazor square in the face. "OOOF!" "It's working! All I got to do is keep it up!" This went on for some time. Erazor swung his sword, Sonic jumped over it and kicked him in the face, and Erazor would howl and disappear again, reappearing every so often to try and hit him.

Then, Erazor stopped. "Come, Sonic! And face me!" He stopped at the end of the hall, and then launched himself at Sonic. "You want it, you've got it!" Sonic stopped at just the right time, allowing him dodge Erazor's sword swipe and smack him in the head.

Erazor yelled in pain. "What's wrong, Erazor? Got nothing left?" "Shut up!" Erazor charged up his sword and fired his most powerful bolt of dark magic at the boy. "TIME BREAK!" The world once again was absorbed into a swirling mass of black and white, and everything was slower and more predictable than before.

"NNNOOOOOOOO!!!!" Erazor screamed in slow motion. Sonic jumped up and kicked him in the face like always, but this time it was different. When he attacked, the final ring was ripped from Erazor's head, and landed on the ground. Sonic canceled the ability, and time resumed its normal pace. Erazor ran into his throne room, and blocked it with a lock.

But not just any lock, it had seven holes…

Sonic and Shahra inserted the world rings into the slots, and the door swung open. A dark portal opened, and sucked them inside! They landed on a black rock. Surrounded by nothing! All they could hear was Erazor's voice. "So, you decided to try and finish me off, eh? WELCOME TO YOUR DOOM!"

"The only one around here who's doomed is you!" Sonic shouted. "Shahra. Give me the world rings, as promised." As if in a trance, Shahra took the rings from the storage pack and presented them to Erazor. "Shahra! What are you doing? Stop!" "STUPID BOY! She was working for me the whole time!" Erazor cackled as Sonic stared at the ring genie in shock.

"B-But why?" She looked back at him with tear-filled eyes. "I have no choice. I-I just want to be back with him…" She started to cry. "With these rings, I am INVINCIBLE!" as Erazor was going to grab the rings, Sonic shouted. "SHAHRA! DO WHAT YOU TRULY THINK IS RIGHT!" Suddenly, Shahra let out a scream, and fell to the floor. "SHAHRA!" "Prayers. Sadness. Rage. Hatred. Joy. Pleasure. Wishes. The seven rings that make up the stories. But the collector of the rings shall be offered up in sacrifice as the key for that control."

"What?" "I offer up YOUR life, boy!" Erazor raised his weapon, and lunged at Sonic! CLANG! "Huh?" Sonic opened his eyes, and saw Shahra holding him. "Shahra!" "Sonic… I'm… sorry. I knew… all along… I knew what would happen. And I still got you involved." Sonic rested her against the palace wall. "It's okay. It's not your fault." "Here, take this. She handed Sonic a bundle of metal. He put it in his pack, and then turned to face Erazor.

"YOU! YOU KILLED HER! YOU'LL PAY!" Erazor scoffed, and began floating in midair. "NO! EVEYTHING WILL BE MINE! ALL MINE!" he absorbed the seven rings, and began morphing and twisting. Loud gurgling sounds were heard, and Erazor was no more! "What are you? Some kind of incomplete monster?" Sonic stared at the shifting, swirling mass. "NOW!! DIE!!!!!" a tendril of dark energy flew out of the lump and smacked Sonic against the wall.

"I AM ALF-LAYLA-WA-LAYLA! I AM THE 1000 AND 1 ARABIAN NIGHTS! I WILL REMAKE THIS WORLD AND THIS REALITY IN MY OWN IMAGE!" the blob began to form into a monster, with four arms, two legs, a stinger tail, and three eyes. SHWING SHWING! The rings of Sorrow, Rage, and Hatred fell from the blob, and flew towards Sonic. "AHHHHHHHHHH!!" The energy from the rings swarmed around him. Glowing emotions were absorbed by his body, and he changed!

His clothes and pack were gone, save his shorts, which were purple. His body turned a purplish color, and he had two white stripes going all the way down his back and arms, legs, and chest. His pupils were frosty white, and his voice became deeper and fierce. He had Shahra's ring embedded on his right palm, and gold rings on his arms, and ankles.

"WE"VE… GOT… TO STOP HIM, SHAHRA! PLEASE! LEND ME YOUR POWER!!!!"

"RAHHAHAHAHA!!!! I AM THE CREATOR! THE STORIES OF THE WORLD ARE MINE!!!" "If this is your world, then it's a world that I don't want any part of!" "MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" Alf-Layla-Wa-Layla began hurtling energy blasts in his direction. Darkspine Sonic rolled and dodged, and then charged at him. "RAHHH!! TAKE THIS!!!" Alf-Layla-Wa-Layla charged up a large energy ball and flung it at Darkspine Sonic.

"HAAAAAAAAAAA! SPEED BREAK!!!!" Darkspine Sonic flew towards the energy sphere. HE collided with it, then, using a flurry of kicks, sent it skyrocketing back at Alf-Layla-Wa-Layla.

The counter-attack hit dead on, leaving the monster vulnerable.

"Sonic! Attack him, now!" "Shahra?" Darkspine Sonic called out. "Hurry!" Darkspine Sonic flew up and smashed at the monster's exposed body. Alf-Layla-Wa-Layla screamed in pain.

"It's working!" Darkspine Sonic charged, again and again, into the exposed core. "RRRRAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Steam poured out from the openings on the beast's chest, mouth, and legs.

The process repeated itself. Each phase getting more deadly. Darkspine Sonic used Time Break to halt the incoming energy bolts, and Speed Break to stop the energy ball in its tracks.

"GAHHH NOO! HOW COULD YOU HAVE THIS POWER!?" Alf-Layla-Wa-Layla screamed. "Sorry, Erazor! Next time, try writing a better story!" "NNNOOOOOO!!!!"

Erazor lost all of his power, and shrunk back to his normal size. "What? How?" Darkspine Sonic landed on the ground, and absorbed all of the negative energy into his hand, getting his clothes, pack, and rings back in their proper place. Sitting on Erazor's throne, the hero pulled the lamp from his pack. Erazor, not noticing, taunted him.

"You cannot defeat me! I am immortal! I'll just come back, again and again! Forever!!!! HAHAHAHA!!" "Really? You know what THIS is, right?" Sonic showed him the object. "What? Noooo! Not that!" "YES! The genie of the lamp is supposed to grant 3 wishes, am I right?" "Humph! I will NEVER grant wishes to the likes of YOU!" "For my FIRST wish, I want you to bring Shahra back to life!" A bolt of energy surged towards Erazor and hit him square in the chest.

"AHH!" A ring of light appeared, and Shahra was alive! The ring that was on Sonic's finger returned. "For my SECOND wish, return the world to the way it was, so that the world could have its stories again!" Another bolt of light hit Erazor, and the tattoo on his arm disappeared. "And my THIRD wish. ERAZOR DJINN! REMAIN TRAPPED IN YOUR LAMP, LIKE IN DAYS OF OLD!" A final surge struck Erazor, and he began floating. "WAAAHHHHH!!! NNNOOOO!!!! SHAHRA! PLEASE, STOP HIM! WE CAN RULE THE WORLD TOGETHER, I SWEAR! THE WORLD IS MINE! I CANNOT BE DENIED BY THAT FILTHY RAT!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!"

Erazor was sucked into his lamp, never to return! Sonic stood out on the balcony, watching the birds fly around the clouds. "David… I-I'm so sorry!!!" Shahra broke down, ashamed at her past actions. "Shahra. Don't cry. He's gone, you're okay now." Shahra dried her tears, and finally looked at her hero. "It wasn't him. It was never about him. It was about you. I knew what risks you would go through, and I still didn't warn you."

Looking at her in pity, Sonic made his last wish. "Shahra. I wish for a mountain of handkerchiefs, so you can dry your tears. I knew. I knew all along what would happen. But what's life without taking risks?"

David and Shahra went to the Evil Foundry to dispose of the lamp, throwing it down the mine shaft. "Goodbye, Shahra. I'll miss you!" "Goodbye David. I'll miss you too!" they hugged, and Shahra returned David to his world. David never forgot this moment, and to help him remember her, Shahra allowed him to keep the ring…

The next day, as David's class went to the museum to look at some Arabian books and manuscripts, the second book in the display case, after Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, had the cover DAVID AND THE SECRET OF THE RINGS…


End file.
